The appeal of fast food restaurants is usually convenience before quality. The Mac-Daddy of all in-and-out food joints, McDonald's (MCD), appears to be trying to change that.

Starting Wednesday fast food fans in Southern California will be able to try the Angus Third Pounder, a beefy sandwich that McDonald's bills as "new hope for our nation of beef lovers."

Comprised of a third-pound of USDA-inspected Angus beef — which is widely purported to be a superior meat — the burger comes in three varieties, allowing the consumer to choose toppings ranging from American cheese, Swiss cheese, mushrooms and bacon.

The Third Pounder is a bit of a departure from McDonald's more recent introductions, which have included salads and other lighter fare targeted to the more health-conscious consumers.

Some customers are embracing the $3.99 Pounder.

"Customer response to these sandwiches in our test restaurants has been overwhelmingly positive” said Chris Woicik, the vice president and general manager of McDonald’s USA, Southern California Region, in a press release.

Your heart might not respond so cheerily, however. Each Third Pounder contains a hearty 760 calories, according to nutritional information from McDonald's of Southern California. And the beefy delight provides 83 percent of the recommended daily value of saturated fat, and 45 percent of the cholesterol value.

And that's without the cheese, bacon, mushrooms, or combination thereof.

Click here to see the full nutrional value information.